1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a process for injecting fuel into an internal combustion engine, wherein the fuel is first enriched with a gas or gas mixture, preferably with oxygen or air, in a gas enrichment device, in that the fuel is atomized and the gas or gas-mixture is supplied to the atomized fuel; whereupon subsequently the enriched fuel is injected directly into a cylinder or indirectly into an area preceding the cylinder, more particularly the intake manifold of the engine, with the result of a final atomization.
The present invention concerns beyond this an injection device for an internal combustion engine for carrying out the above process, comprising a gas enrichment device, which includes a space for enriching fuel with a gas or a gas mixture, in particular oxygen or air, and further includes at least one atomization means as well as at least one opening for a gas inlet, at least one pump means for supply of the fuel and for supply of the gas or gas-mixture in the enrichment space, and a supply line or inlet for introduction of the enriched fuel from the gas enrichment device to a final atomization means, wherein the final atomization means is provided for the subsequent direct or indirect injection of the enriched fuel into a cylinder or into an area preceding a cylinder, in particular an intake manifold.
2. Related Art of the Invention
In a process of this type, in which the fuel, which in the manner of a conventional direct or indirect injection is atomized as fine as possible using a nozzle directly prior to combustion, in order to guarantee formation of an optimal mixture with the air supplied into the combustion chamber or prior thereto, is prior to this final atomization already once atomized and at this time enriched with a gas such as oxygen.
If this enriched fuel is injected in a conventional manner for example into the intake manifold or directly into the cylinder of an engine, that means, is again atomized, then the gas contained or dissolved in the fuel leaves and causes, by this “degassing”, in comparison to the atomization of unenriched fuel, and improved disruption or as the case may be atomization of the micro- and macro-fuel droplets, and likewise causes a more homogenous mixing of the fuel with the supplementally supplied air.
It is known that as the fuel droplets become smaller, inhomogeneities of the air/fuel mixture become increasinly reduced. By the previous enriching of the fuel with a gas in the course of an atomization, then during the actual injection process the effect of the subsequent final atomization is increased due to the degassing occurring thereby. As a result of this described injection process, due to, among other things, the reduction of inhomogeneities in the combustion mixture, an improved combustion is achieved and therewith the fuel consumption is reduced.
It is a primary goal in engine development to achieve further reductions in consumption. It is thus a task of the present invention to so further improve the above described injection process and the above described injection system in such a manner that further savings potential in fuel consumption can be realized.